Rifts, meddling delay Ghazni PC head’s election

GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): Elections for leadership board of the provincial council of southern Ghazni province is yet to be held due to internal problems and political interference, an official said on Wednesday.

Amanullah Kamran, deputy head of the provincial council, told Pajhwok Afghan News they were unable to elect their head due to problems among council members and meddling from government officials.

Government officials wanted a person as head of the council who should not supervise implementation of projects and corruption cases in government departments, he alleged.

Hassan Raza Yousafi, another member of the council, also complained of interferences and said: “The Ghazni governor directly interferes in the election process and wants to appoint his favorite person as the council’s chairman.

“Thus he has created differences among our colleagues,” he said, accusing the governor of trying to appoint a person as council head who could be his partner in corruption.

However, the governor’s spokesman, Arif Noori, said no officials including the governor interfered in the provincial council election. “Members of this council have many problems. Others should not be blamed for their problems.”

A day earlier, Nasir Ahmad Faqiri and Hassan Raza Yousafi -- two members of the council -- came to blows.

The leadership board elections begun in all provinces on Saturday. Some of councils elected their leadership boards on day one.

The Ghazni provincial council elected Amanullah Kamran as deputy head and Hamidullah Sarwari as secretary on Tuesday. The chairman is yet to be elected.